Farmers who choose to lead have an advantage over those who just manage. Originally published at Farm Futures in their November/December 2022 issue. Old employee management and leadership techniques can be a bottleneck to farm growth and profitability. There comes a time on most farms when the founders cannot do...
Category: Business Growth Strategy
Moving from Commander to Coach
The most powerful move you'll make is moving from the commander to the coach. Written for MILK Magazine and originally published in the July/Aug 2022 issue. It's fairly common for farmers never to retire. So common, in fact, that we seldom hear the phrase uttered when going through a transition...
How to Assess Your Teams Performance
Rank your employees from basic skills to MVPs, then focus on how to help them level up. Written for Farm Futures and originally published at https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/how-assess-your-teams-performance on 6/27/2022. Gone are the days when employees were cheap and easy to come by. Labor, including working with family, is always one of...
What makes a successful Partnership?
Partnerships are a great idea. You pool together talents and money to go farther than each party could by themselves. Written for MILK Magazine/DairyHerd and originally published at https://www.dairyherd.com/news/business/what-makes-partnership-successful on 5/23/2022. Some partnerships are large endeavors, and others are smaller. But no matter their size, some flourish, and others don't....
Dealing with Discomfort
There is more than one way to handle conflict Written for Farm Futures and originally published in their May/June 2022 print issue. The Father and son sat across from each other, building tension. The topic was compensation within their family farm as part of their transition plan. This meeting occurred...
Better Communication, Less Confusion
Hold quarterly team meetings to keep goals moving forward and communication flowing. Written for PROGRESSIVE DAIRY and originally published in the March 2022 issue. Are you sometimes left wondering if your employees understand the farm's priorities and goals? Do your employees ever feel they get conflicting messages and wonder, "What...
Onboarding
An overlooked tactic in lowering employee turnover Originally published at Dairyherd.com on 1/11/2022 here Onboarding: An Overlooked Tactic in Lowering Employee Turnover | Dairy Herd It takes a lot of work to find and hire great employees. Hiring employees often takes you away from your normal work. So once an...
A Team Review
Let your team improve how the farm operates by hashing out what works - and what needs work. Originally published at https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/benefits-farm-debrief-0 on 1/11/22. Many farms want to scale up their operations, and they need people to do the work. Ideally, you want great teams of employees. Great teams can...
Easy Employee Reviews
How to keep your best employees engaged and happy. Originally published at www.farmprogress.com/commentary/easy-guide-employee-reviews on 11.19.2022. Have you had the frustration of being blindsided by a great employee leaving? They have been on board for a year or so, and it appeared everything was going great. They showed up on time,...
The conversations families must have if they want to keep the farm together
When it comes to Transition Planning, communication is the foundation. This was the case with my friend Bob. He was so delighted when both his son and daughter decided to come back to the family farm. In addition, their spouses also chose to join the operation. For the first year,...